introductory mingle: carnivale

[riverviewmod]

who: everyone in Riverview!
what: Introductory Log and Carnivale Celebration
when: July 1st - July 9th
where: Anywhere around the city.
warnings: please put any necessary warnings in the subject lines

carnivale

In the days leading up to July 1st, residents new and old will notice preparations beginning, a flurry of activity getting the city ready for the upcoming celebration: Carnivale. This holiday is in celebration of music, and the onset of summer and warmer weather. The celebrations are marked by street parties, an extensive program of live musical performances, with a large parade (and paid holiday!) capping it off on July 8th.

celebrating music, and summer

After a couple of months of low-key or even solemn celebrations, it's time for Riverview Quarantine to throw a good, old-fashioned party. Carnivale is a city-wide festival that pretty much everyone gets into, and many residents take the entire week off so they can enjoy all the festivities. With events ranging from impromptu street parties, free live musical performances, food stands, themed club nights, adult lounges with kink shows, and topped off with a massive party parade, the holiday has a lot to offer for anyone who likes to sing, dance, and show some skin!

i. street parties and food

One of the staples of the Carnivale festival is the spontaneous street parties and food trucks and carts. It's not unusual during the holiday to turn a corner and run into a group of people dressed in bright colors and sequins having an impromptu party with a few drinks, and then be invited to join right in! Carnivale is a celebration of music as well as summer, so most shops and stalls will be blasting danceable music into the streets to facilitate these little street parties - it's considered a sign of good luck for the owner of a business if an impromptu Carnivale celebration starts up in front of their door.

Considering the proliferation of street parties and people out and about to celebrate the warmer weather, local business owners also take to the streets. Food carts, stands, and trucks pop up on almost every street corner offering a wide variety of food from savory treats to sweet desserts. Many of the carts are offering one free item to anyone dressed up for Carnivale - anything shimmery, shiny, or brightly colored will do!

ii. live musical performances

One of the major roads in the city center has been completely roped off for the entire week, and all along this street, various temporary stages have been set up, each with a nice hefty sound system. Volunteers hand out printed flyers, and digital boards are set up here and there with schedules of various performances that are all free to attend, ranging from well-known popular music artists to new up-and-comers or independent artists who are looking to make a name for themselves. This event is very widely advertised around the city, and is accepting entries until the very last minute.

At couple of the acts might be familiar faces to some of the residents.

Eichi Tenshouin has signed up himself and his friend Tsumugi Aoba into the music festival as a first-time appearing idol unit called "Higanbana." Dressed in all white with splashes of color (blue, largely, with only their headsets being a red spider lily), they carry a very commanding and angelic image together. They'll have a routine that emphasizes their great harmony with each other, taking turns doing solo lines and joining together to show off each of their talents. Singing and dancing, they interact heavily with the audience and will encourage a lot of involvement with speaking between songs and gestures, winks, and so on. Basically, they intend to make this Riverview's very first prominent "idol performance".

For his performance, Otabek Altin will start with rock remixes of a few popular pop songs. He wants to make sure that it starts off with recognizable pieces for some people, and he certainly thinks it is something that could get people excited even if they don't know it. Then, it shifts into a few original songs. They are upbeat, rock songs that he put together with the intention to make people dance and move, since he is a DJ. He'll end his set with a slower piece he put together that is also an original. Through the entire performance, he's focused and quiet, though he may occasionally try and excite the crowd with a few words.

Any other player-characters who are musically inclined are more than welcome to assume their character was fit in for a performance, and can post up a top-level with a rundown of their performance to get bonus Activity Points for posting a mingle!

iii. carnivale parade

The other main attraction of Carnivale week comes on July 8th, which is a paid holiday for everyone in the city. The Carnivale Parade will be starting out by City Hall and winding through downtown in a lazy pattern so everyone in the city has a chance to see it. There will be all sorts of floats, dancers, marching bands, with all sorts of clubs, businesses, and other organizations represented. The theme is theatrical, big and showy, bright and colorful, sparkly and shiny, with loud music and lots of glitz and glamour. Observers can expect great music, excellent dancing and marching shows, neat vehicles provided by classic car clubs, the fire, police, and Perimeter Guard. They can also expect a lot of party favors, whether it's a sparkly plastic beaded necklace, a fan to take the edge off the heat, candy, popsicles, a temporary tattoo, or any number of other little treats or toys to be tossed into the crowd - some of them fit for kids and teens, others of a more 'adult' nature handed out a bit more discreetly to anyone who looks the part.

And make sure you wear your waterproof mascara - Carnivale floats have a tendency of spraying or spritzing water, both in an unspoken competition to see who can make the biggest water-refraction rainbow in the air, and to keep observers cool in the new summer heat.

iv. adult: lounges and kink exhibition

Thanks to the Carnivale tradition of showing as much skin as possible, some event organizers' minds have turned to topics of a more adult nature. In the evenings, residents may see clubs doing "lounge nights"; these adults-only events have bouncers IDing everyone at the door to ensure they're 18+. The themes may vary, from very specific niche themes like 'golden age superheroes' to broad themes like 'rainbows,' and each event is clearly marked as what it is - all-nude or clothing-optional, and can host events ranging from amateur to professional exotic dancing, food served off of nude bodies, anonymous masked hookups, or just provide a comfortable space where casual sex is encouraged with whoever happens to be around. Various legal substances can be found at these lounges, but nothing that would cause violation of consent, and every substance would be clearly labeled and have warnings to ensure that no one partakes unless they choose to. Please be sure to warn in the subject line for sexual content or drug use (since some mild party drugs are legal in Riverview).

For the weekend from July 7th-9th, there will be a kink exhibition in one of the large exhibition centers downtown, limited to characters 18+. The exhibition is a sexy adult informational convention featuring various kinks and fetishes. Whether you're into leather, latex, lace, or anything else, you'll be able to find the clothes, toys, guides, books, erotica, fiction, and a wide variety of other interesting stuff to explore. While the atmosphere is sex-positive and there are private and public (for the voyeurs and exhibitionists in the room) venues for having sex, it's definitely focused on exploration and information about different stuff to try.

v. roommates or wildcard

Feel free to use this prompt to meet new roommates, for the purpose of getting to know each other, or hit up one of the mod-posted prompts for each Communal Floor. Or if you have an idea for a prompt that isn't in this list, set during Carnivale, feel free to write it up!

visual inspiration

click on thumbnails for larger view

Credit: image i: Roger Patterson Jr.; image ii: Syd Mead; image iii: screencap from the movie Paprika; image iv: siamon89

navigation

Comments

[franciscoramon]

[ Well, that backfired spectacularly. Only one option, now: swing entirely in the opposite direction. Cisco sets his hands against his hips, a note of challenge and humor in his voice as he asks: ]

Oh, for real? Are we doin' this? 'Cause I was going easy on you just now, but if that's really how you wanna play it...

[ And he marches himself right over to a rack of those much more suggestive clothes, making a great show of considering the different options. Partly because it enhances the joke, and partly because it's an excuse not to look at Eddie for a moment. He feels an obscure twinge of guilt, like he shouldn't be doing this. But there's nothing weird about it, and Eddie had asked. Had insisted. What was Cisco supposed to do?

He plucks a mesh, see-through tank top off one of the racks and holds it up at Eddie, expression somewhere between amused and grim. ]

'More' enough?

[causational]

[Eddie can't help but laugh as Cisco puts his hands on his hips and stomps off to one of the booths. Eddie trails along behind him, raising his brows as he sees the tank top that Cisco pulls out for him. And honestly? It's not that bad. Fits in better with where they are and isn't too embarrassing to wear.]

You're on, bucko.

[And Eddie buys it, slides his tank top off non-chalantly and then slips on the mesh one. There are a few moments that he feels uncomfortable, less because of his body and more because of the large pair of scars over the left side of his chest, through his pectoral, right above his heart. One is larger, an obvious gunshot wound. The other is smaller and brighter pink, still healing after his run-in with John Wick, evil version.

But it only takes a moment to get used to before he's shoving his usual tank into a bag and taking a deep breath, looking around.]

Alright, alright. So what else is there to do here? Taako told me something about you traumatizing him with fleshlight teddy bears or something. I'd rather avoid that if I can, but...I want to check some stuff out. You seen anything you like or anything worth seeing?

[Somehow, the awkwardness of the first half of that question is completely lost on him.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco hadn't been sure whether Eddie would actually take the bait or not; he hadn't expected him to do it with such gusto. Maybe he's got a little bit of a competitive streak, didn't want to back away from a challenge. Then again, maybe he is just... less modest than Cisco, considering the way he just straight-up strips off his tank top right there in the open and pulls the other one on.

It's a weird sequence of events; Cisco looks away, automatically, before realizing that looking away is pointless when Eddie's about to be putting on something that leaves nothing to the imagination. So he looks back, and notices that, yep, Eddie sure is a very fit dude, no two ways about it. Cisco feels a little flutter of attraction somewhere in his gut, which he stoically ignores. Then Eddie turns a little and Cisco's eyes spot the scars - both of them. And that manages to douse the mood quite thoroughly.

Eddie's healing well, and he's clearly not in pain, but all the same Cisco's eyes move away quickly. The last thing he wants to be thinking about right now is Eddie dying, or Eddie nearly dying, or death in general. He's grateful when Eddie speaks next and gives him a distraction to seize on. ]

Oh, he did? That's an interesting interpretation of what actually happened. I bet he didn't even mention the part about the bees, did he?

[ Cisco shakes his head in a way that seems to suggest he's thinking "isn't that just like Taako?". But he gets the general sentiment of what Eddie is saying. He wants to see stuff that is interesting, not horrifying. And Cisco had gotten his fill of the latter already, earlier. ]

I can, uh, show you some of the booths with the not-completely weird stuff, sure.

[ He's careful to phrase it neutrally, so it's not about showing Eddie the things he, personally, likes. Because that's just... way too personal, thanks very much. ]

[causational]

[It's probably some kind of surreality that has Eddie so calm about the whole thing - putting on the shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination, considering wandering around a kink expo with a friend, openly asking what Cisco is into. Maybe it's that the situation is surreal, maybe it's some kind of mild social shock, or maybe it's just denial, but it doesn't feel awkward at all.

Turning, he laughs a bit when Cisco insists that it wasn't exactly how things had happened, and then mentions bees.]

Bees? Okay, I know I'm gonna regret asking but...

[He trails off as he lets Cisco have some time to answer that however he wants, and they walk off toward where some of the more 'normal' looking booths are. Eddie's chin lifts and he starts looking around, trying to spot one he likes. When he sees one with latex bodysuits and gloves, he pauses, shakes his head.]

I can't tell if I like that or not.

[franciscoramon]

It was just a stupid game we were playing, seeing who could fake being into bizarre stuff we saw. He got the teddy bears, yeah, but I got the dude who was into getting off while covered in bees. Live, actual, real bees. One of which totally flew at me, by the way, so y'know, on the whole, I'd say Taako and me are even.

[ Cisco gives a melodramatic shiver just thinking about it.

He's more than happy to set that aside, however, as he turns his eyes to the booth that Eddie is talking about. It's all, to Cisco's eye at least, very basic stuff. Baby's first kink, and all that. He gives a shrug, makes a quick decision. ]

Depends on if you're into being uncomfortable.

[ He seems to realize a moment later that the way he'd worded it sounded dismissive, so he adds: ]

I think that's supposed to be part of it, y'know? Like, the whole really tight PVC outfit thing is about being restricted, and having a whole layer of this stuff between your body and the world. Or something like that, I don't remember exactly. I asked a dude in a catsuit about it at a club once, and he explained for like half an hour, but the music was loud and I was puh-retty wasted.

[causational]

Oh my god. That's...really disturbing. I wonder if it's more of that pain-for-pleasure thing, because you'd think they'd sting once you started getting freaky...

[When Cisco immediately has something to say about the latex booth, Eddie glances over at him again. The story is interesting, and he can't help imagining Cisco drunk at a club where a guy in a latex catsuit isn't out of the ordinary, striking up a casual conversation. It's so Cisco, somehow, and yet completely unexpected at the same time.]

I guess I can see that? Kinda like extreme bondage of some kind, all-over bondage? I dunno. Not my bag, though, probably. I kinda want to check out some of the booths with costumes and stuff. For roleplaying.

[His cheeks go vibrant at that, and he avoids eye contact, because this is a little close to home - it's something he actually likes, and he knows he likes it.]

Though...haha, I guess we're supposed to be expanding our horizons here, right? Oh man...is that a booth full of high heels?

[And he's walking over there already.]

[franciscoramon]

[ It's a fairly surreal feeling for Cisco, too, hearing Eddie cheerfully saying phrases like "extreme bondage" in a sunny, entirely unbothered way. The two of them have been almost entirely circumspect about discussing sex up until today - the closest they'd come to it had been Eddie saying that he and Taako hooked up at a rave while they were on party drugs or whatever. But there's something about the grinning breeziness with which Eddie dismisses the gimp suits that is just... jarring. Endearing, but jarring.

Cisco only just has time to notice Eddie being embarrassed by his own suggestion that they check out the costumes and roleplaying equipment; then he is the one who is avoiding looking at Eddie. If Cisco wanted to be subtle, though, managing to choke on thin air and ending up coughing loudly... definitely wasn't the way. At least it gives him a plausible excuse for how red he is in the face. Eddie really is on a personal mission to end Cisco, today, isn't he?

And then he has the gall to say that shouldn't be top priority, because he's supposed to be expanding his horizons. Which means costumes and roleplaying is NOT expanding his horizons. Meaning he's done it enough to consider it somewhat in his wheelhouse. And why oh why couldn't the kink Eddie implied he had some practice with be something that Cisco was utterly indifferent to? Maybe even one he had a mild aversion to. Certainly be more useful than suddenly wondering the specifics, and knowing there's no way to ask without it being majorly weird. ]

Yes, I think so, let's go look.

[ The words come out a little strangled, but that's okay because Eddie is already wandering off, and Cisco follows along after him, still clearing his throat and feeling flustered. Really, it's just unfair. The mesh shirt almost looks better on Eddie from the back than it did in the front - it shows off the curve of his spine, that dip in his back just above the line of his pants, and... Cisco really has got to stop looking, dammit.

When they get to the high heels, Cisco needs pretty badly to fidget with something with his hands, to divert his own thoughts from a variety of things. So he picks up a few pairs, turning them over and over, checking all the sizes available, the prices, all of it. ]

These are dope, actually.

[causational]

[Eddie is completely oblivious to the torture he's putting Cisco through - he catches the way he chokes and coughs and then goes red, and winces because he thinks that he probably managed to gross him out by mentioning sexy roleplay.

So he rushes over to the stand with the heels as soon as Cisco agrees to go look, and hopes that Cisco doesn't think he means that he wants to wear them or something, because that's not really Eddie's thing. He just likes seeing them on people. Maybe that's why the foot fetish hadn't seemed too gross earlier - there's a connection there in his mind already, though his is a little more closely related to shoes and costumes.

But when Cisco starts picking up the shoes and turning them over and over in his hand, Eddie relaxes a little, smiles, because Cisco seems pretty interested, at least, and that makes it a bit less embarrassing.]

Right? I wouldn't wear them or anything, but they're one of those really sexy things, you know? At least, I think so.

[franciscoramon]

[ He is glad that Eddie isn't giving him a hard time, even if he can tell that the both of them are a little discomfited, trying to pretend everything is normal when they both know it kind of isn't. Cisco is grateful for his long hair, which helps to hide his face a little as he looks at some of the costumes on display. If only he had some kind of adblocker in his brain, but for the stray and rather filthy thoughts that keep popping up. ]

Crossdressing not your cup of tea?

[ That was fine, right? Asking in that kind of airy, mostly disinterested voice? Cisco feels that he would ask just about anyone that question, if they said they straight-up wouldn't wear heels. ]

I never got how Caitlin could run around in these things. I tried on a pair of her shoes for like, ten minutes on a dare once and I thought I was gonna die. Like, this? [ And he brandishes a pair of heels with a particularly tall and narrow heel. ] This is totally on par with like, those display cases of nipple clamps or whatever. Definitely a masochism factor.

[causational]

[The last thing on Eddie's mind is giving Cisco a hard time. Not only are there signs everywhere saying not to shame anyone unless that's their kink, but Eddie's just not the type of person to make fun of someone for something they're into. He can also tell that Cisco is hiding behind the length of his hair while he asks if cross-dressing isn't Eddie's thing.

Laughing softly, Eddie shakes his head.]

No, not on myself, anyway. I don't think I could pull it off. I mean, I'm kind of covered in hair, I'm sure you've noticed that much. And if I wouldn't look good in it, there's no real reason to do it.

[Eddie is, of course, oblivious to exactly how much that says about how he behaves in the bedroom - it seems natural to him, perfectly normal.]

Yeah, I don't get it either. I've never tried them on, but all it takes is looking at them. Iris used to wear them, and Taako does sometimes, and they look insane.

[It's only after he's gotten halfway through saying it that the mental image of Cisco in high heels suddenly pops into his brain. And he's seen people before and after putting heels on, seen what it does to the shape of people's legs and butts and everything else, and only a few moments after noticing what those leather pants do for Cisco's rear profile...the two suddenly connect in his mind and he coughs into his hand.]

Right. Masochism. I totally feel that. I mean. I feel how the heels could be masochism. Wow. Sorry. I got distracted for a minute there.

[franciscoramon]

[ When Eddie says I'm sure you've noticed that much, Cisco has a moment of sheer panicked certainty that Taako had told Eddie about his stupid answer from that stupid truth or dare game. He just has to be doing this on purpose. Cisco's cheeks burn, with shame now more than anything else. They'd probably laughed about it, the both of them. And he couldn't even blame them.

His better sense battles his paranoia; they're both good people, and he knows it. Eddie's comments only seem pointed to him because he feels guilty and embarrassed at himself. Swallowing, Cisco turns a little bit away from Eddie and says: ]

Hey, last time I checked there's no rules against body hair in crossdressing, man. It can look just as good, if the person's working it.

[ Eddie coughing snaps Cisco out of his funk, but he completely misinterprets the cause of it. Seeing Eddie red in the face and looking sunny and embarrassed and harmless loosens the knot of unease in Cisco's stomach. ]

I didn't mean, like, Caitlin or Iris or whoever are getting off on going to work in heels 'cause it's painful or whatever, I'm pretty sure it's also just a fashion thing.

[ He sets down the heels he'd been holding onto, moving to the next booth over, one that boasts a variety of different bottles. At first, Cisco thinks it's relatively run-of-the-mill: massage oils, lubricants, that sort of thing. Useful for a variety of kinks and vanilla sex, but nothing terribly interesting. If Eddie weren't there, he might even think of buying himself something.

But there's another part of the display that draws his eye - tiny bottles that are kept beneath a glass case, each with a descriptive label beside it. Cisco comes closer, peering down to read what they say. ]

Oh, weird, these are like... magic potions, I guess.

[causational]

[It doesn't even occur to Eddie that Cisco might pick up some other meaning in what he said - it seems obvious to him that he meant the fact he's wearing a mesh shirt and just changed tops in front of Cisco makes the hair on his chest pretty apparent. In fact, he's mostly surprised by the fact that Cisco explains that body hair can look good while crossdressing, and he laughs, abruptly.]

What? Really? No way. I can't imagine trying to pull off one of those silky lacy things with a chest like a bale of hay.

[Eddie's mouth curves up a little, his face still red, and the self-deprecation is distracting him from the inappropriate thoughts he'd had a bit earlier. Okay. Maybe is still having, because he can't help but make some kind of connection between Cisco's assertion that body hair can work with crossdressing and the comment about heels earlier and...god, he really needs to get his brain out of the gutter.

Thankfully, the mention of Iris and heels being just for fashion washes some of that away, with the little spike of pain that still accompanies any mention of her. It's getting better, but it's still there, just a bit, just enough that he can focus again. They're moving on from the heels and he goes willingly, browsing through some of the bottles of lubes and oils and that kind of thing, curiously picking up one or another.

When Cisco mentions magic potions, though, he blinks and immediately leans over to peer at them curiously.]

Whoa. Taako told me he definitely doesn't have an orgasm spell, so I thought there wasn't much in the way of sex magic. I wonder what they do.

[Lifting his head, he makes eye contact with the vendor.]

Excuse me. Can I ask what these do?

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco just shrugs; he might be more articulate about the whole thing if he weren't trying hard not to think about Eddie's chest or bales of hay or silky lacy things or any combination thereof. Maybe some other time, when he's less flustered, he'll make a better defense about ambiguity and genderbending and the whole thing. For now he merely says: ]

I can.

[ He snorts a little laugh; of course Eddie had asked Taako if there was an orgasm spell. It's what Cisco would've done, if he were going steady with a wizard. But it also makes sense to him that a potion is not quite the same thing as a spell, and that there are types of magic here that might not be the same as the magic Taako's learned. There are so many different worlds represented on this moon - some of them must have relatively innocuous forms of magic.

Cisco is glad that Eddie asks for the explanation, since it means he doesn't have to. Together, the two of them listen as the older, bearded man behind the booth explains the potions. One, he says, will alter the physical sex of the person who takes it, for a few hours. He says there are varieties of the potion - some that make only minor changes, others that are more of a full-body alteration. Another whole section of potions are, apparently, for sensory deprivation, leaving the drinker blind, or deaf, or both, and more. Those ones, he says, require the purchaser to sign a waiver.

There are others, too. Potions to enhance certain emotions and sensations, potions to induce hypersensitvity, potions to do all kinds of things that Cisco doesn't even understand right away how they could possibly be sexual. It's all very impressive, and more than a little daunting. ]

Dude...

[causational]

[It isn't so much that Eddie has anything against it, he just doesn't have any point of context, doesn't know much at all about gender bending, only that he likes people in heels, likes people in silky lacy things. He's had the occasional thought about men in silky lacy things, but it was just never men like him, hairy and bulky, it was always slim men, like Taako, or men with curves like Cisco has...

Tearing his thoughts away from that forcibly, his face bright red, he leans over to look at the potions more closely, swallowing hard.]

Wow. They can do that? Wow.

[Licking his lips anxiously, Eddie glances over at Cisco, and then shrugs.]

I'm not gonna lie. I'm seriously tempted to try some of these. I mean, even if you didn't use them for sex, you know?

[But he can definitely think of dozens and dozens of ways to use these for sex, and if Cisco doesn't end up interested and he'd feel weird buying things right now, he makes a mental note of the booth to swing by later if need be.]

[franciscoramon]

[ Cisco glances over at Eddie at the same moment that Eddie's glancing at him. He doesn't say anything at first when Eddie says he's tempted to try some of them, hastily qualifying that it doesn't even have to be for sex. Once he's sure he's mastered his voice enough, Cisco says: ]

Yeah, man, go for it. I mean, yolo, right? Whole point of the expo is... trying stuff that's new... this is. Pretty much as new as it can get.

[ He swallows, feeling awkward, wanting to encourage Eddie as a friend but also trying very hard not to think too much about Eddie actually using any of these. That would be taking things way, way too far. That would be going beyond tiny secret crush he doesn't even want to acknowledge to himself and moving to take up residence in Straight-Up Creepsville.

(And Cisco, too, makes the resolution that he is going to come back here before the expo closes, without Eddie, and maybe pick up one or two of these, for himself...) ]